


See no Truth, Speak no Truth, Hear no Truth

by tjstar



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst and Feels, Apocalypse Prevented, Drug Use, Emotional Manipulation, Ghosts, Haunted Houses, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Mentions of Prostitution, Modern David "Dave" Katz, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reincarnation, Therapy Mention, attempted non-con possession, post-Season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29379801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tjstar/pseuds/tjstar
Summary: “You’re scamming people.”Ben repeats this all the time like a broken record. Klaus corrects him,“Weare scamming people, Casper, we are.”---prompt: Klaus and Ben going to people’s homes and scamming them into thinking their house is haunted (and having them pay to get it ‘exorcised’) but for some reason it doesn’t work on Dave...
Relationships: Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz
Comments: 12
Kudos: 50
Collections: EnKlave Fest 2021





	See no Truth, Speak no Truth, Hear no Truth

**Author's Note:**

> i had a doc with the plan of this fic since october 2020. thanks to the person who submitted a prompt that matched my idea <3 hope you enjoy!

“You know what’s the smell, Benny?”

“Save me from the details, I’m begging you.”

Ben is not in the mood — permanently — Klaus only clicks his tongue and explains, 

“That’s the smell of money.”

He’s looking for a job, really. He’s trying his best. Ben stops dead in his tracks. Klaus mentally slaps himself for coming up with such a brilliant metaphor. 

_“Oh._ I thought it was the stench of a shitty weed you reek of.”

“What?” Klaus throws a lighter at him, but it sinks through his ghostly form. “I don’t reek of anything,” he lifts up his arm to sniff his armpit, but years of doing coke might’ve screwed up his receptors. “Aw, somebody’s grouchy today.”

“Aw, somebody cares?” Ben turns to him, passive aggressively, so Klaus is forced to lean back. He exhales a smoke ring directly into Ben’s face.

“Hey, why do you think I’m asking?”

Ben glares at him. The couch under Klaus’ ass doesn’t seem so soft; their “headquarter” looks mostly like a cheap hotel room. Maybe because it _is_ a cheap hotel room. Klaus doesn’t want to give up easily, scanning the pages of a morning paper with his gaze, looking for potential clients. He hums to himself as he spots a few names; there’s only one rule: _the richer the better._

They have a scheme, a plan, Ben’s ghost abilities and Klaus’ performative skills.

And luck.

 _And_ Ben’s pessimism. 

“I don’t feel good about this… Thing,” he finally says. 

Klaus rolls the newspaper up and looks at Ben through it. 

“Come on, we’ve been doing this for months!”

“Which means you’re out of fortune. You should be.”

“You’re such a party pooper.”

It’s getting harder to get Ben’s help.

“You’re scamming people.”

Ben repeats this all the time like a broken record. Klaus corrects him,

 _“We_ are scamming people, Casper, we are.”

“I’m doing this… Because…” Ben fumbles for words. “Without me, you’d be dead in a crackhouse.”

Klaus nods. Ben’s not wrong.

“It pays the bills.” 

“You’re a tax evader, Klaus.”

“And you’re dead, so shut up, brother dear. I have kids to feed.”

“You don’t have kids.”

“I have myself.” 

Of course, Klaus has to laugh it off, because his brother is a shitty therapist. Because he _knows_ karma’s gonna get him anyway. 

“You think you’ve got _nothing_ to lose, right?” 

“We are not starting this conversation now,” Klaus covers his face with the back of his _GOODBYE_ hand. “I’m just asking you for a favor.” 

“It’s called a “favor” now?” 

“Okay, maybe that’s not the right word,” Klaus exhales another smoke ring. “At least I’m trying to get clean, see?”

“You’re literally smoking a joint right now.”

Klaus rolls his eyes.

“Just stop being a bitch.”

Ben’s going to agree with him eventually. Ben says,

“I’m sick of scaring the shit out of wealthy grandmas so you could get paid.”

“And I’m sick of being a homeless junkie looking for a dick to suck.” 

Shit, that sounded a bit too harsh. 

“Grandmas adore me, by the way,” Klaus adds. 

But he said what he meant; he can’t hide it from Ben.

“Listen, I…” Ben lets out a sigh of defeat. “Fine. Just _one_ more time.” 

“Great,” Klaus claps his hands. “Let’s get ready, shall we?” 

***

In Klaus’ opinion “getting ready” means “making yourself look quirky so people wouldn’t recognize you”; in Ben’s opinion…

“You look like an idiot.”

“You say this every day,” Klaus replies, clamping the joint between his teeth. “Wanna try and be more original for once?” 

Ben ignores his witty comment. 

“We need a vacation.”

“We need money for our vacation too, right? Well, I mean, I need.”

“To finally buy a better wig?”

“That shit stopped working when we were like… six? And you know that,” Klaus scratches his chin, mindful of a fake beard, decorated with black and white beads. “You’re not getting through this armor, Benny-boy,” Klaus points at his bare chest. “No way.” 

After averting the Apocalypse, after the Vietnam war, all what’s left of Dave is battered dog tags around his neck and a temple tattoo on his stomach. He’s broken to the point where nothing can make him feel worse. Ben can criticize his spiritual guru look all day long; it’s just another coping mechanism. Klaus drops the joint into a trash can and wipes his sweaty palms on his loose striped pants. He’s arguing with a ghost. Huh. It’s like clinging to the remains of his childhood fame, which is quite degrading sometimes. 

“You look like you’ve run away from the circus, but nobody’s looking for you,” Ben tries again.

It’s almost a nice one. Klaus chuckles and knocks at the door.

And nearly gets hit with it in the face. 

“Hello? Can I help you?” 

There’s an old woman standing in the doorframe. 

Klaus just needs a minute for Ben to give him the information. 

“Bonsoir? Oh, it’s a great pleasure to meet you,” he takes her hand and kisses it. “Katharine? Spirits say your husband used to call you Kitty?”

The woman freezes, letting him in.

“How… Who are you?”

“Her husband is dead,” Ben points at the portrait above the fireplace.

“You can call me Séance,” Klaus leads Kitty to the couch and helps her sit down. “Your husband visited me just the other night…”

“You’re so full of shit,” Ben spits out. 

“Shush,” Klaus waves his words away. “...and he told me that you’re in danger.”

“Danger?”

“I can feel the aura of this place. I can hear the restless souls roaming these rooms,” he whispers into her ear. 

“What’s the smell?” Kitty suddenly asks, almost burying her nose into Klaus’ hair. 

Ben definitely didn’t lie about the stench of weed. 

“Oh, that’s… That’s… My joss sticks,” he blurts out. “I use them to… Meditate. To connect with the spirits to get the answers to my questions.”

 _“Don’t call the police,”_ he begs her mentally; sometimes he wishes he could control people’s minds. 

The footsteps on the second floor distract both of them. 

“Oh, thank God,” Klaus whispers. 

The Umbrella kid is about to become a _Dallas miracle._ Klaus is sure this city hates him though. Sometimes he’s sure Ben _hates_ him for his tricks. They’d never been close as kids; but then Ben died, Ben stayed and had to follow Klaus across the world of the living. 

Ben fiddles with the tableware in the kitchen, and Kitty cries out,

“You came here right in time!” 

She squeezes his arm, hiding behind his back as they go to check the rooms. Ben breaks _the cheapest_ plate and _carefully_ knocks over the vase with flowers. Klaus catches it so the water doesn’t stain the carpet. Kitty stares at him, in awe. 

Ben slaps him across the face. 

“Ouch! That’s not funny anymore,” Klaus presses his palm to his stinging cheek. 

In front of him, Ben shrugs. 

“It’s never been funny.”

Klaus throws his arms up. 

“Leave this nice woman alone, evil spirit.” 

“Eat shit,” Ben says. Calmly, which makes Klaus shiver. “You’re here to fight the ghosts, so let’s fight.” 

Well, maybe Ben is indeed tired of being his partner. 

Klaus gets knocked off his feet, groaning as his back hits the floor. Kitty kneels next to him. 

“Oh, my God, are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” Klaus pants out. “This one Casper is just pissed.”

Kitty gasps,

“At _me?_ For what?”

“No, at me, because I’m about to kick its ghostly little ass,” Klaus laughs, hysterically, looking at Ben and getting kicked in the shin immediately. “I told you to leave us alone.”

Ben says,

“Enough of this.”

Kitty says,

“I’ll bring you some water.” 

“I’d prefer gin,” Klaus mumbles when Kitty leaves.

“Get up,” Ben outstretches his hand for Klaus to grasp onto. “You’re pathetic.” 

Klaus giggles and yanks at Ben’s arm, landing him on the floor as well. He expects Ben to become intangible, but Ben falls on top of him, Ben crashes down like a solid weight, elbowing Klaus in the face in the process. 

For a second, Klaus thinks his teeth are gonna get scattered across Kitty’s living room. 

For a second, Klaus thinks he died again.

There’s a shock wave rolling through him, flattening him out and making him shake and choke on his lungs. 

“...aus?”

He must’ve blacked out. 

“Séance?”

He blinks at the sound of Ben and Kitty’s voices, trying to sit up and massaging his temples. His head is about to split open, and his mouth tastes like copper. There’s a glass of water being pushed to his lips, and he drinks hungrily. 

“Is… Is the spirit gone?” Kitty asks, placing her hand onto his forehead. 

Klaus clutches the glass in his trembling hands. 

“Yeah, yeah. Your house is squeaky clean now.” 

A red trickle from his mouth dribbles down his chin and to his chest; he’s glad that he hasn’t bled all over Kitty’s carpet that probably costs more than one of his kidneys. 

“You can stay here for a night, if you want…”

She’s so lovely. She’s got his blood on the cuff of her fancy dress, and Klaus feels a pang of guilt in his stomach. 

“Thank you,” he squeaks out. “But I gotta go.”

Kitty’s smile fades; she takes her purse. 

“Klaus,” his name comes out of Ben’s mouth like a warning. “Don’t tell me you’re taking her money.”

*** 

Klaus takes the money. And an ice pack Kitty gives him to press to his busted lip. He buys a bottle of whiskey in the nearest store and rips off his disguise; his scalp is itchy, and taking the wig off feels like heaven. His own hair is a mess of uneven curls, tousled and sweaty, barely covering his ears. He keeps pushing the strands away from his face as they walk back home. He’s gonna get wasted tonight. This thought keeps him alive, he’s craving to feel alcohol burning his throat.

“Klaus?”

“What?”

Ben hesitates for a second.

“When we were _fighting…_ Something happened. Something odd. Did you feel it?”

Klaus licks up the cut in his lip.

“Do you mean when you kicked my ass? I felt cold,” he rubs his neck, trying to remember. “I thought I was going to throw up.”

“I noticed. I didn’t mean to hurt you… Like that. You were as pale as a corpse.”

Klaus huffs.

“What did _you_ feel?” 

“I felt like I got stuck inside of you, and then,” Ben snaps his fingers. “That head rush you get before you pass out.”

“Sure, you were stuck inside of me,” Klaus fumbles with the keys in his pocket.

Behind him, Ben exclaims,

“How can you just ignore that? I think I possessed you!”

Klaus looks through him.

“I think I need a drink.” 

***

He wakes up with a headache and with someone banging on the door. Hangover pins him to the bed, he presses his head to the pillow to block out the sounds.

“Ben? Can you _please_ go check on whoever’s trying to break in? I’m not excited about seeing anyone…”

“I’m not your butler,” is all he gets. “Go and check on them yourself.” 

“You’re _so_ cruel,” Klaus whines, but it doesn’t work with Ben. He moans and gets up from his bed, stumbling over an empty bottle on the floor. He feels like he’s fallen asleep just five minutes ago, which can as well be true.

Somebody knocks again.

“I’m coming!” Klaus opens the door. Just a small crack since there’s no peephole. “I didn’t order the room service… Oh, shit, _holy shit,”_ he’s suddenly aware he’s only wearing his undies, his _best_ undies actually, with no holes in it. 

And, in the crack of the door, he sees _Dave_. A real, living and breathing Dave Katz himself, slightly confused by Klaus’ reaction. 

“I’m… I’m sorry for bothering you, oh God, that’s so awkward,” Dave takes a step back. “I’m sorry if you’re not alone there, probably I should leave…” 

“No, no, no,” Klaus half yells half laughs. “Come in, please, you are _always_ welcome here. I just need… To get dressed,” he lets Dave in and slams the door shut. 

Dave gives him one puzzled glance, and for the first time Klaus regrets that he’s only got two hands and too many tattoos and other parts to cover. He turns away and doubles over, rushing to the room and pulling on a blue sweater, hiding Dave’s dog tags underneath it, and tight beetlejuice pants. 

“Do I look like I’ve been drinking all night?” he whisper-shouts at Ben.

Ben nods. Ben’s jaw drops when he sees Dave. Klaus pushes Ben away, running to the bathroom — apparently looking ridiculous from Dave’s perspective — and splashes his face with cold water. This is not enough to sober up, so he shoves his head under the tap, then shakes it like a dog to dry off. He brushes his teeth and sprays cologne all over himself.

“I doubt he’s gonna kiss you today,” Ben winces. “Or hug you.” 

Klaus rubs his reddened eyes.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” he’s almost howling. “I’m not losing him again. I’m not losing him.”

A gentle knock on the door makes him drop the toothbrush into the sink.

“Are you… Are you okay there?” 

Klaus’ chest feels hot with tears he’s folding back. 

“Yeah,” he unlocks the door and walks past Dave. “I’m totally fine. Never been better.”

Ben says,

“You’re a terrible liar.”

Klaus flops down onto the bed. He should’ve opened the windows to get rid of cigarette smoke, but it’s too late. 

“Séance…” Dave starts. 

“Klaus,” Klaus corrects him. “That’s… My childhood codename, I don’t go by it anymore.”

“Since when?” Ben pipes in.

“Since now, God, please, shut up. No, not you,” he turns to a bewildered Dave. “You can talk. You _should_ talk, tell me how you’ve been.”

“He doesn’t even know you…”

“...you don’t even know me.”

Klaus kicks an empty bottle under the bed. 

“I heard of you,” Dave sits down on the chair in front of him. “People described you differently.” 

“Oh, yeah, this,” Klaus tugs at his hair. “I… Got a haircut… Yesterday.”

“You look much younger than I thought.”

“I’ll drop my skincare routine later.”

Klaus’ heart melts when he makes Dave smile, tiny crinkles form around his eyes. 

And Dave says,

“I think my house is haunted.”

“Oh?” Klaus leans forward so their knees almost touch. “Can you tell me more about this?”

 _“Can you tell me more about yourself? Dave?”_ Klaus has to bite the tip of his tongue not to blurt that out.

“Please, don’t think I’m crazy, but… It started since I made the decision to sell my uncle’s hardware store. He… He raised me when my parents died, and I’ve been working there since I was a teen. But then... I served in Afghanistan,” Dave trails off. “And… I want to change something in my life now. I’m sorry. It’s just...”

“You’re so brave,” Klaus says, unable to swallow a lump in his throat. 

“You don’t even know my name!” Dave jumps up on his seat and reaches his hand for Klaus to shake. “David. David Katz. You can call me Dave, less official, right? I don’t want to sound official when you’re about to expel the phantoms out of my house.” 

“Tell him the truth,” Ben demands. “You don’t want to get killed in his house and ruin his life.”

Klaus doesn’t bat an eye, listening to _Dave._

“And that store reminds me of him now. Of my uncle Brian, who died two weeks ago, and my life’s been a nightmare since then. He was a marine. And… I can’t even find the right words, but… I’m selling the store for personal reasons. I wanna move on. But he doesn’t let me.”

“I’ll help you,” Klaus doesn’t notice that he takes Dave’s hand again and squeezes it. _HELLO, GOODBYE._

Ben paces nervously across the room. 

“You can’t do shit in the state like this.”

“I’m a professional,” Klaus says. Dave points at his umbrella tattoo.

“One of those kids?”

Klaus tugs at the sleeve to cover his forearm.

“Yeah, the freaky one.”

“Also the one who came out on live television during primetime?” 

“Are you a fan?”

“Nope,” Dave’s clearly teasing him. “Wasn’t even allowed to watch TV when I was a kid. But people kept talking about you. And it was pretty interesting.”

“With or without my rehab admissions?” Klaus asks. It hurts, but he has to. 

“It doesn’t make you a bad person,” Dave says. “I had problems myself, and… I get it. You’ve been living under a lot of pressure.” 

“Yeah, yeah, you too.”

In their alternative reality, Dave described uncle Brian as a conservative, homophobic asshole; and now he can’t leave Dave alone even when he’s fertilizing the ground. 

“Are you… Coming with me?” Dave asks. “I need your professional opinion.”

Klaus must’ve zoned out again, looking down at his hands and seeing Dave’s blood on them. Seeing a hole in Dave’s chest, a bloody froth on his lips and the last flare of life in his glazed over eyes. 

“Klaus?”

God, he’s scaring Dave. 

“I’m fine. I just…” he frantically looks around. “I just need to pack some things.” 

Dave gets up from the chair. 

“I’ll wait outside. Deal?”

“Deal.” 

Dave leaves him alone with his thoughts and with Ben; Ben keeps telling him that it’s a bad idea. 

“You don’t have to do anything this time!” Klaus yelps, delving in his bag. “Enjoy your vacation, Benerino.”

Of course, Ben doesn’t listen.

“You’re taking your clown outfit?”

“I spent money on it.”

“You stole it from a dressing room when you dated an actor.”

“Well, the theater spent money on it then,” Klaus hisses, shoving the wig and clothes back into the bag. “I swear I’ll burn it one day.”

He throws the strap over his shoulder and hurries to the door. 

“Hey, look me in the eye and say that you’re not gonna relapse and start shooting heroin again if you two don’t get along.” 

Klaus grabs Ben by the front of his leather jacket, pulling him closer until their noses almost touch. 

“I can handle it. _Stop_ reminding me of my heroin phase.” 

“You didn’t see yourself _that_ night,” Ben says. “When you overdosed.” 

Klaus says, 

“I saw your death. I saw _Dave’s_ death, and I think that’s enough.” 

His hands shake so badly he can barely tie his shoes.

He’s afraid that he won’t see Dave outside, but Dave honks at him as soon as he leaves the hotel. Klaus gets into the passenger seat, leaving Ben in the back. He doesn’t want to keep bitching with him on their way to Dave’s house. 

“That ghost might be really powerful if it can even affect Dave,” Ben says, just for Klaus to ignore him. 

“Aren’t you… Scared?” Dave asks.

Klaus grins at him.

“Absolutely not.”

“Liar,” Ben comments. 

Klaus regrets they can’t call a taxi for him.

***

Dave’s house is nice; not big, lacking expensive furniture and silver spoons in the kitchen. Dave’s house is nothing like regular houses Klaus used to “work” with. 

“Do you want me to pay up front or when the job is done?” Dave asks.

Ben says,

“Bold of you to assume the job will ever be done.”

And Klaus says,

“I don’t take money.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” Klaus turns to Ben. Dave rubs his forehead, looking exhausted.

“Is my uncle here now?”

“No, not yet. It’s just… Just another ghost stuck with me. A pain in the ass, I say.”

“Congratulations, you finally found someone who believes you. And you keep lying, Klaus. What’s next? Gonna wrestle with a poltergeist?”

Ben’s angry, thick waves of cold air fill Klaus’ veins. It’s something similar to what he felt at Kitty’s, but this time he manages to keep the distance somehow. 

“You say that because I’m your ticket to the world of living,” Klaus mutters. “That’s the only reason why you need me to stay alive. Just for a company.” 

He’s afraid of what Dave might think about him, hearing only a half of the conversation. 

Dave doesn’t say anything about that.

“You can… Are you going to stay here?” 

“Is this okay?” 

Klaus mentally counts the cash in his pockets. He can still afford a room if —

“Sure, _sure,_ you can stay. It’s better this way. I’d like to spend the night with someone who actually knows what they’re doing,” Dave lets out a nervous chuckle.

Klaus _doesn’t_ know what he’s doing; he hasn’t had any face-to-face encounters with the ghosts for months, and he’s still not sober enough for this. Not brave enough either. 

But now he’s got Dave. 

Every time Five uses his powers, something changes. And this time, time rewind brought Dave back — it’s a miracle, a new timeline, a new beginning. Klaus and Ben have been traveling across the states since they got free of their Apocalypse duty, and Klaus felt like there was a magnet in Dallas the whole time. He didn’t believe it, he didn’t want to believe. He didn’t want to be met with another disappointment, he didn’t want to disappoint Dave. He _doesn’t_ want it. 

“It usually starts at midnight,” Dave says. “Weird noises, power outages, someone’s presence behind your back. He can’t touch me… Yet. Or maybe I’m just going crazy?” 

“I think I can feel it too,” Klaus hugs himself as goosebumps pop up on his skin. He’d clutch Dave’s dog tags to calm himself down, but he thinks it might freak Dave out. 

Klaus sits on the couch and waits for the paranormal things to start happening; the ghosts hate him, they yell at him when he takes off the mask of high. He’s coming down now, sweating and panting, and he knows that Dave _knows_ what that means. 

It’s embarrassing, everything is. But sharing a room with Dave is familiarly comforting. 

Ironically, they’re waiting for the attack again. 

Dave talks about his family, about the car accident that took his parents’ lives when he was eight. It matches the story Dave told him when they were sharing a cot in Vietnam; the history repeats itself. 

He was raised and constantly abused by his own uncle. 

Klaus was abused by his father, he says it.

“I survived the family of seven.”

He’s still surviving. 

The floorboards on the second floor begin to creak. Klaus looks at the clock in the living room. 

“Right in time, huh.”

He gets up, but Dave’s hand on his shoulder stops him.

“I think… I think he’s louder today?.. Want me to go with you?”

“Aw, that’s so sweet.” The ghosts usually can’t physically interact with the world of living, but uncle Brian seems to be just a special son of a bitch. “Stay here,” Klaus whispers as the noises grow louder. 

“Is he moving the furniture?” Ben asks as they tiptoe to the staircase. 

“Wanna go and check?” 

“Oh no. You’re the guru here.”

Klaus takes a deep breath and grips at the railing. He manages to take a few steps when Ben says,

“I just realized one thing. The ghost might be getting _stronger_ because of you.”

Klaus stops.

“Because of me?”

“You’re the Séance. You charge them.”

“Oh shit, you’re probably right,” Klaus covers his face with his hands. “What should I do now?”

Ben shrugs.

“Um, exorcise it?”

“Right, that’s what I’m doing all the time,” Klaus laughs. He actually _laughs_ until his chest begins to hurt.

Dave said that the ghost has occupied his bedroom, torturing him with nightmares, but he never mentioned that his uncle could interact with solid things. Klaus knocks on the bedroom door.

Ben facepalms.

“What? What if he’s having his little ghost sex there? I’m not a perv,” Klaus hisses out. 

As expected, the door remains locked, but something in the bedroom falls with a thud. 

“Klaus?” Dave hollers from the first floor.

Klaus shouts,

“Everything’s fine!” 

“You need help!” Ben shouts at the same time. 

“Anyway, it’s better than the mausoleum with ghosts,” Klaus says and pushes the door handle down.

And sets free whatever power fills the dark room. 

The house is shaking, the walls dance with the framed pictures clapping against the wallpapers. It’s like an earthquake mixed with the echo of the gunfire locked in Klaus’ mind. A tidal wave of energy washes over him, blood rushes in his ears, forcing him to cover his head with his forearms. Something pushes him, violently, he doesn’t see the punch coming, he doesn’t see anything as he tries to hold himself upright. Ben is there to catch him, cursing, with the tendrils of fear radiating from him, but Klaus can’t manifest him, distracted by the sudden attack. 

The pain in his head is unbearable, his brain shuts down before he takes a flight down the stairs.

*** 

It’s raining hard. The wind might as well take the rooftop off; the vortex inside of Klaus’ head synchronizes with the storm.

“Welcome back,” Ben greets him as soon as he opens his eyes. 

Everything is fuzzy, there’s a pack of frozen peas on his head. He’s lying on Dave’s couch, and Dave sits on the chair right in front of him. 

Klaus lets out a groan.

“How are you feeling?” Dave chews his lip; Klaus notices his bag in Dave’s hands, unzipped and with his wig peeking out of it. “Care to explain?”

“Oh shit,” Klaus sits up, pressing the pack to the lump on the side of his head.

Ben purses his lips.

“Told you so.”

“Dave, please,” Klaus raises his hands up in defeat, but Dave doesn’t listen, dropping the bag into his lap. 

“When you fell down the stairs, _something_ opened your bag. I hope you don’t think I was rummaging in your stuff,” he points at the fake hair stuck in the zipper. “Did he want to warn me about you?” he gets up and grabs Klaus by the shoulders. “Who _the hell_ are you?”

The thunder turns to the explosion, and Klaus pushes Dave’s hands away to cover his ears, to protect himself from whatever is haunting him. 

“Hey? Hey, _Klaus?_ Is that your real name?”

Klaus nods and buries his face in his hands, shaking and leaning forward. Dave rubs his back; his hand is warm and calloused, and it makes Klaus think back of their time together, when Dave would do this for him during the withdrawal.

“I wasn’t going to hit you, I swear. I’m sorry I scared you,” Dave heaves out a shuddering sigh. 

“I fell down the stairs once. Was wearing my mother’s hills, woke up with my jaw broken,” Klaus croaks out. “Not the best thing to remember.”

Dave says,

“I broke my ankle when I was a kid. Tripped over and fell down the stairs.”

“I know.”

“What?”

Klaus hugs himself again as the lightning splits the sky in two. 

“I’m a fraud,” he says. God, that’s not easy. He lifts his head up and repeats, “I’m a fraud. The costume you found in my bag is mine. I use it as a disguise to scam people into thinking their house is haunted. And they pay me to get it exorcised,” Klaus looks Dave in the eyes. “That’s it. I’m… I’m a… A fraud.”

Dave listens to his speech intently.

“Did you… Did you lie about your powers the whole time?” he asks, voice shaky and hoarse. “I believed you.”

Klaus shakes his head, his brain clatters around his skull, but he ignores it. 

“I can really commune with the dead, I… I can manifest my dead brother if you want! I made him bring the chaos to rich people’s houses.”

Dave raises a brow.

“And?”

“And they believed it.” 

“But the ghosts?..”

“I used to get high as a kite to avoid seeing them. I’m sober now, because I want to _help you,”_ Klaus wipes the tears from his cheeks, willing himself to believe that it was just physical pain that made him cry.

“But why? Why _me?”_

Dave looks and sounds heartbroken. 

Klaus pulls the dog tags from underneath his sweater.

“Look,” his fingers go numb as he touches the metal. 

Dave puts the dog tags on his palm, the chain dangles in the air. 

“This might sound crazy, but we fought in Vietnam together,” Klaus says. “I time traveled to 1968 and met you, well, I _landed_ into your tent. We spent ten months together, and…”

If Klaus says that, he loses the battle with himself, he’s gonna have to admit that Dave died, _his_ Dave died.

“The hill 689,” Dave chokes up. “I never came off that hill.”

Klaus cocks his head and breathes through his mouth as his heart leaps into his throat. 

“I’m getting flashbacks,” Dave squeezes the dog tags in his palm. “And I die every time. My therapist said it’s all related to my trauma, but… I knew there was something more about that, it’s like I remember my past life, but I don’t want to end up in the mental ward like my aunt, and…”

“You’re not gonna end up in a mental ward, Dave,” Klaus caresses his knuckles across Dave’s arm. “Do you hear me? We can handle this. Together, we can.”

Dave gives him a shaky nod. 

“You said your brother died?”

“He’s standing right there. Ben,” Klaus raises his _HELLO_ hand. “Could you please…”

Ben’s frame is glowing blue as he appears behind Dave’s back. Dave huddles closer to Klaus, breathing out a,

“You said you were just a fraud!..”

“But I also said that I could manifest my dead brother.”

“God, this can’t be real,” Dave tosses the dog tags on the couch. “You’re the one who hit his head, why is it me who’s hallucinating?”

“Hey, I am not a hallucination,” Ben protests. “Klaus says a lot of things. And he lies a lot. He wanted to be honest with you. And it’s the first time in his life when he wanted to be honest.” 

Klaus doesn’t want what else he can add to this. For the first time in his life. 

He feels dumb.

“Thanks for not kicking me out, I guess.”

“I’d never kick anyone out,” Dave says. “I just wanted you to answer my questions.”

Ben points at himself.

“Does this answer your question?”

“Yeah,” Dave swallows hard. _“More_ than I expected.”

“We’re good then,” Klaus claps his hands to draw their attention. “Gotta figure out how to tame that one ghost dick, right?” 

Ben smiles, Dave gives him thumb ups.

With support like this, Klaus feels powerful.

***

The ghosts feel powerful too. Klaus is beaconing them, there’s more than _one_ haunting this place now.

“Why did you bring the squad in?” Ben winces, looking at the ghosts marching into the room. 

“I… I didn’t,” Klaus exhales. “Uncle Brian did.”

They’re wearing US marine uniforms. They’re dead, bloodied, missing limbs. And angry, they’re oh so angry, finding the source of energy to feed their wrath. Klaus hasn’t seen this many ghosts since… Since the hotel incident. If you can call a night of torture an “incident”, of course.

Dave can’t see them. Yet.

Klaus is somehow grateful he’s not in the worst of the withdrawal, he’s got a few hours before he’d wish he was dead too. Ben gives him an encouraging glance. The thunder outside doesn’t subside, the raindrops keep hitting the windows.

The lights flicker.

“You’re not doing this, right?” Dave puts his hand on Klaus’ shoulder, causing him to flinch. He can’t explain what he’s seeing now, or what he’s feeling — that’s a literal embrace of the death, an invasion, the spirits are about to take him hostage. 

He has never seen uncle Brian, but he guesses that the ghost standing right in front of the group of the others is him. 

“What do you want?” Klaus asks. _HELLO_ and _GOODBYE_ on his palms let out a slight blue glowing. _“You should be burning in Hell,”_ he wants to add. He’s shaking with the adrenaline boiling inside of him, he can’t control his power, he can’t —

“I want my nephew to keep the store,” Brian says, pointing at Dave. “And well. Maybe I want a new body. You can help me, you know? I wouldn’t be talking to a _queer_ otherwise.”

“You’re too ambitious for a ghost, you know?” Klaus smirks. This actually sounds funny to him. “Leave us alone.”

He wants to find the switch and turn the ghosts off, he wants to erase them out of his and Dave’s energy. His palms are glowing brighter, he feels a tingling sensation on his skin and screws his eyes shut.

That’s just a test drive. 

“I think you’re manifesting him,” Ben whispers.

Again, Ben’s not wrong. Manifesting such an aggressive ghost is a very unpleasant experience; it drains him, he’s not used to the sudden outbursts of his terrifying powers. 

Dave’s eyes go wide.

“You…”

“He’s not completely useless, is he?” Brian grins. 

“Klaus is _not_ useless,” Dave says strictly. “And you’re not welcome here anymore.”

Brian chuckles.

“You think you can stop me? You think _he_ can?”

“Your heart attack was well-deserved, you know,” Klaus wheezes out, trying to push back his powers.

“You’re pissing him off, he’s taking your energy,” Ben warns. “Oh shit.”

Klaus can’t stop the thing his power is doing — the marines behind uncle Brian’s back become visible too, the room’s too crowded. He feels claustrophobic, but he can’t get out, he can’t stop panicking, huddling to Dave as the ghosts get closer to him. 

“You know what I’m gonna do first when I possess you?” Brian cracks his knuckles. “Gonna get you out of these queer clothes and dress you up properly. And then…” he pauses. “Then I’ll go and bang Molly from the flower shop.”

“I think I’ll pass. I’ve had enough of _Molly_ in my life,” Klaus tries to resist and un-summon Brian, but it’s not working.

The marines behind him are about to attack Ben as the only _real_ threat.

“I’ll hold them back,” Ben gives Klaus a small nod. _“Run.”_

“Oh, thank God, you’re not bitching now, Benjamin.”

Ben’s Horror doesn’t let Brian’s friends get closer to Klaus and Dave.

“Dave, I think I forgot to tell you that Ben had powers too,” Klaus realizes, belatedly. “Oops.”

Ghostly tentacles of Eldritch monsters smash the marines into the walls, ripping the rifles out of their hands. At this point, Klaus loses his grip on his power completely, feeling a thick wall form behind his back. He turns around and sees familiar faces. His friends, _their_ friends from Vietnam, KIA and MIA, wounded, dead, but not broken.

“Hello, Katz,” the Sarge says. “Always knew you two were more than just friends.”

And the ghosts from Klaus’ side attack the dead marines. 

Klaus doesn’t know how to thank the Sarge for getting into a fight to save them; the ghosts can twist each other’s necks, they can cause real damage to the house and kick the furniture around. The Hell breaks loose. 

Ben’s a real hero. 

Klaus gets distracted by the loud _bang;_ it startles him, he doesn’t want to time-travel back to the war again. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees uncle Brian’s bluish silhouette running to him, as if he’s going to —

_To possess him._

Klaus screams, squats down and covers his ears with his hands, pressing his chin to his chest and getting ready for the collision he can’t avoid. He feels it, he hears Dave repeat his name over and over again. It’s like he’s floating underwater with a heavy weight pinning him to the bottom of the bathtub, with ghosts surrounding him and waiting for him to emerge. 

Klaus doesn’t emerge. 

Once in Vietnam, he was standing too close to the explosion and the force of it sent him flying. It cost him a dislocated joint and a shrapnel wound in his shoulder, his nose and his ear were bleeding sluggishly. Someone said he’s immortal back then. 

There’s something elastic and dense around him, something like a bubble that appears for a second right in time to cover him from the ghost possession. When Klaus opens his eyes, uncle Brian is nowhere to be found. Everything is too bright, and the ghosts of the soldiers stand in the hallway stock still.

“Thank you,” the Sarge says. “We’re free to go now.”

Klaus can barely move his tongue, asking,

“To go _where?”_

“Into the light where we belong,” the marine from Brian’s gang says. 

They’re fading, turning to watercolor pictures of themselves and dissipating in the air. 

“Who did it?” Klaus grips at Dave’s shirt; his knees buckle as he gets up. 

Ben says,

“You did.”

Ben smiles, but he’s disappearing too, turning to transparent dust little by little. 

“You’re leaving too,” Klaus whispers, Klaus wants to stop it. “Shit, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I couldn’t…”

His hands are still glowing, _HELLO_ and _GOODBYE_ look like neon signs. 

He touches Ben’s arm, the sleeve of his leather jacket is warm despite the freezing cold in the room.

“It’s fine,” Ben pulls him into a hug. “It’s time to go for me.”

Klaus feels strangely relieved. He knew it wasn’t only _his_ power that tied them together, but it still seemed like he was the one to keep Ben stuck in between the worlds after his death.

“It was nice to meet you, Dave.”

Ben’s just a light shadow, joining other ghosts who stand in a tight row and wait for the light to consume them. It doesn’t take long. 

When Ben is gone, Klaus can’t believe it. 

“My whole life, he’s been around,” he’s about to lose his footing, but Dave catches him. “He was such a pain in the ass, but he was my favorite brother. I can say that when he’s finally resting in peace.”

“He loved you too. I can tell that.”

“Do you think I’ll meet him when I die?”

“I think it’s too early to talk about it.”

“Oh yeah. Dying is my other problem,” Klaus blurts out. “But at least you can sell the hardware store and uncle Brian won’t bother you anymore.”

“I hope the nightmares will finally go away,” Dave sighs. “Will you go to the therapy with me?” 

Klaus nuzzles Dave’s shoulder.

“Sure, I will.”

He feels empty, sick and tired of his powers, but at the same time, he knows that going into the light was the only thing that could make Ben happy. Not seeing him around is weird; he’ll accept that one day. It’s gonna be okay once his mind heals.

Klaus looks at the window, seeing Dave’s reflection next to his.

The sun comes up.

**Author's Note:**

> [klaus’ look inspiration](https://i-seeaspaceshipinthe-sky.tumblr.com/post/642564808577875968/s-t-r-i-p-e-s)  
> [gifs for this fic](https://i-seeaspaceshipinthe-sky.tumblr.com/post/643907271106166784/for-my-enklave-fest-fic)  
> \---  
> my tumblr: @i-seeaspaceshipinthe-sky  
> \---  
> thanks for reading!  
> kudos/comments/thoughts/are very appreciated <3


End file.
